Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley

This past winter, I found a lot of joy in reading. Sometimes, I read fiction books but, mostly I have been reading books about life and how others are navigating it. One of my favorite reads from this winter has been "Grace Not Perfection" by Emily Ley.

Emily Ley is a creative, who designed The Simplified Planner. She works from home, and she has twins around the same age as Piper. I have some things in common with Emily Ley, so this was a really great read for me.

There were some quotes from the book that I just had to write down for myself to look back on. I figured I would share my favorite quotes with you here, too. Every quote I'm referencing here stirred something in my heart, brought a tear to my eye or, gave me an "ah-hah" moment; as if those were the exact words trying to come out from my heart.

Quotes from Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley:

"Looking back, I can see God orchestrating every failure, and milestone into a song of daily surrender and joy."

"The good life is rich, slow, real and flawed."

"Here's the thing about doing it all, even if you can do it all, no one can do it all well."

"The truth is, if we take care of ourselves the same way we're nurturing everyone else, we'll find all sorts of joy and be better for everyone we love."

"What good are we when we are overwhelmed, overbooked and over committed? We need care, rest nutrients and full hearts to be able to speak life into the people we love.

Our hearts are moving, loving, organic things. You might say our hearts are wells-deep and wide. If our well is not fed by a freshwater spring, where it can be replenished and refilled, we have no water to give to the ones we love. If our well is fed by a stream of comparison, anxiety, and stress, guess what we have to give to our families? Sharp words, headaches and impatience will brim at the top. Nothing good comes out of a poisoned well. But what would we have if we let our wells be filled with things like, rest, laughter, confidence, good tea, hugs and adventure? I want to overflow with that sweet water."

"Somewhere, some time ago, someone told you that you had to do it all -- and you had to do it all by yourself. Instead of saying no, paring down, and embracing quality of life over quantity of commitments, you allowed your life to spin out of control, And it's left you without half a second to take a deep breath."

"I hadn't realized that worry, anxiety, the need for control and the chase of perfection zap the life, energy and health from our bodies."

"Give yourself permission to slow down. In fact, give yourself permission to just stop. Press pause on as much as possible, and take inventory of your life. What are your commitments and responsibilities? What can go? What are your priorities? What can you say no to?"

"What would your life look like if you let your well be filled even five minutes a day, with the things that make you feel deeply alive?"

"Our time with little ones is so fleeting. It is both the fastest and slowest time of our lives. And for many of us, beginning motherhood coincides with a lot of other important life milestones. Our careers may be taking off. Our parents are getting older. We have big responsibilities and so many things beeping and buzzing to notify us that we're needed. Our minds are consumed with bills, to-do lists, behavior issues, comparisons, and attempts at doing everything just right. And all while, our little ones are growing another quarter of an inch. Their chubby thighs are slimming. Their wobbly walks are steadying. If we don't purposefully and intentionally slow down, free our hands, walk away and say no, this precious messy season of life will pass us by."

"I've realized that I have to manage my expectations and be realistic about how much I can participate in during this season of my life. We can't stay late when we take the whole family somewhere. That's just life right now. And that's okay. This is a season that will be gone all too soon. When I have this type of perspective, it helps me approach life -- and other -- a little more graciously when things don't go as planned."

"You don't have to be the best at everything. Allow your weaknesses to be someone else's strengths. That's what community is for. There is nothing wrong with stepping aside for sanity's sake. Instead of stretching yourself too thin, create margin and manage your expectations about what you can handle right now. Once you stop beating yourself up for what you're not doing, you're able to be more gracious with the people you love. And you give someone else the chance to shine in the role you couldn't take on."

"We live in a society of more, faster and extra. So we feel like we need to respond more, faster and extra. But that's a useless exercise. So much joy can be found in slowing down. I fight against my fast-paced, overachieving nature every single day. I fight the urge to take on anything and everything. Remember, you have a max capacity. Identify those areas of your life that are overflowing and distracting you, and do something about them. Unsubscribe. Quit. Uncommit. Slow down. Be still, Make revisiting these tasks a monthly routine in your life."

"After everything, one of the best lessons I've learned is this: everyone has a story about how they started out. Every dream began in somebody's garage or at someone's kitchen table or over two pretty average cups of coffee. Every successful person was new once and had to ask a lot of questions to figure out the way. Every person you admire has accepted help and advice from others and has fallen on his or her face countless times. Show me a self-made success story and I'll show you someone who's tell you a fib. No matter what your passions are in this life or what road you're traveling or what goal you're chasing, know this: it's okay to get dirty. It's okay to try one thing, mess up and try something else. It's also okay to keep trying to climb that same tree, evening if you fall down ten times. The difference between people who achieve their goals and people who don't is their ability to dust themselves off and wear their dirty outfit proudly."

"Your desire for a better life has to be stronger than your fear of what it may take to get there. It's as simple as that. Don't put off creating the life you dream of because you're afraid you can't do it perfectly."

"Comparison is truly the thief of joy. And we've established a standard of perfection in our work and our families based on what? Social media highlight reels? Perfect people? {I'm telling you -- they're like unicorns. They don't exist.} Being a woman with many loves and responsibilities will test your patience, stretch your will and make you love more fiercely than you ever thought possible -- because time is your most precious commodity."

"What will your legacy be? How often have you considered that the perspective you have will be passed on to your children? The way you let go of mommy anxiety will be handed down to your daughter. The love you give away to the world will be reflected on your children, and their children, and their children after them."

"Be still and listen. Let God's truth resonate in your life just as it is. Not one day when your house is clean. Not one day when all the laundry is put away. Not when the time is right. But right now."

Those are most of my favorite quotes from the book, Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley. The entire book is filled with treasures of advice. It's a book that I will keep in my collection, knowing that I will go back and read it again. It's just that good.

Right now is a great time to get "Grace Not Perfection" by Emily Ley as it is currently ON SALE! Get your copy now {affiliate link}:

Readers, have you read Grace Not Perfection? What is a book you'd recommend that I read next?

Welcome to Goal of Losing

Hi! I'm Kalyn but, feel free to call me Kay. Titled from my goal of losing 100 pounds, this blog is filled with simple recipes, healthy living tips and updates from my every day journey of losing weight while living life.